Regulators Question Response Times By Strike-bound Yankee Gas

As a strike by natural gas employees heads into a fourth week, state utility regulators say they are concerned about the time it has taken Yankee Gas Co. to respond to some reports of gas leaks.

In a letter Friday, the state Department of Public Utility Control told officials at Meriden-based Yankee Gas that the company failed to meet certain time restrictions in responding to some reports of leaks during the last two weeks of October.

FOR THE RECORD - A strike by union workers at Yankee Gas Co. has not been classified a lockout by state labor officials. hearing on that issue was held last week, but a decision is not expected for two weeks. A story on age F2 in Saturday's Courant incorrectly reported that the strike was a lockout.

During the week of Oct. 18-24, for instance, the company exceeded the 30-minute-or-less guideline set for business hours in 28 percent of reported cases. The company also exceeded the 45-minute-or-less guideline set for off-hours in 17 percent of the reported cases.

The state, which monitors utilities during strikes, has required Yankee Gas to provide more details by Monday about how the strike has affected the company's ability to respond to reported leaks and what the company has done to improve the situation during the strike.

Union workers walked off the job Oct. 21, a month after the utility implemented its last contract offer over union objections. The previous pact expired Aug. 1. The walkout subsequently has been classified as a lockout by state labor officials.

"We knew when the strike started they had a plan in place that appeared to be reasonable," Louise Ricard, an agency spokeswoman, said Friday. "We expect all the utility companies to operate as they are required to whether there is a strike or not. But we're not drawing any conclusions in the letter."

Ricard said the guidelines are set by the department and are not federal regulations.

J.R. Healey, business manager for Local 420 of the

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, said Friday that the loss of union workers has crippled the company's ability to serve its customers. It also has placed the safety of residents at risk, Healey said.

"Their response time has been totally dismal," Healey said. "The company said they could provide the necessary service to 180,000 customers. They failed miserably and continue to do so."

A Yankee Gas spokesman said Friday that the company was still analyzing the information from the state, which was based on data provided by the gas company.

"We will be completely honest in admitting some delays, but they have been caused by an unprecedented amount of acts of vandalism, said Thomas D. Dorsey, a spokesman for the gas company. "But at no time has any customer's safety been in jeopardy.

Dorsey said more than 400 individual cases of vandalism involving the turning off of gas services at homes, businesses and shopping centers has increased the number of calls the company must deal with.

The company has offered as much as $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in strike-related vandalism